Week in review (8/2 to 8/8)

I usually avoid writing about subjects that are not aerospace-related. Afterall, people read this column because it focuses on aerospace issues of interest to the Gulf Coast region. But there was a story this week that shows you just what can be accomplished if you set your mind to it.

The story was by a reporter from the Washington Post, which has been following the training of two women who have made it to Ranger swamp training at Florida's Eglin Air Force Base. The reporter wrote about one of the instructors at the Ranger swamp school, Timothy Spayd.

Spayd at 53 is about twice the age of the other 6th Ranger Training Battalion instructors. He's a former active-duty Army sergeant who in 1980 graduated from Ranger School. He was adopted, so to speak, by the 6th RTB after the unit found that Spayd had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

A neurodegenerative disease, ALS attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, affecting voluntary muscle action. Eventually, it can leave people unable to speak or walk. Spayd, of Milton, and his wife, Karen, began wondering about his health years ago. He'd lost 26 pounds and had significant pain in his back and spine. A VA doctor finally gave him the diagnosis of ALS.

A friend and fellow Ranger School graduate reached out on Spayd's behalf to see if Ranger School would allow him to assist and visit, a "Make a Wish" sort of request, Spayd told the Post. Now that first visit has gone well beyond that. Spayd first walked with students at Eglin in 2013, and he's now been involved in the last 19 classes, spanning nearly two years. Spayd said being part of the Rangers gives him a sense of purpose.

To see the story, click here.

Now for your aerospace week in review:


Airbus
In Alabama, interior cabin specialists Vartan Product Support will open a 3,300-square-foot facility at the Mobile Aeroplex in October to provide on-site cabin interiors support to the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility at the Aeroplex. Vartan also has operations in Charleston, S.C., and Seattle to support Boeing facilities and in Toulouse, France, and Tianjin, China, to support Airbus final assembly lines. (Post)


Bases
A special memorial service was held Friday at Hurlburt Field, Fla., for two airmen from the 24th Special Operations Wing who died during a training accident at Eglin Air Force Base earlier in the week.

Tech. Sgt. Timothy A. Officer, 32, and Tech. Sgt. Marty B. Bettelyoun, 35, died during the free-fall parachute training accident at Eglin’s Camp Rudder. They were assigned to the 720th Operations Support Squadron, part of the 24th SOW at Hurlburt.

Special tactics airmen are the Air Force’s ground special operations forces who often embed with Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces to integrate air power for the special operations ground force. (Post)

-- Ford employees are spending three week at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base to test vehicles in extreme cold. The lab, the largest facility of its kind, is being used to test the vehicles in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It was the size of the lab that appealed to Ford, which can put up to 72 vehicles in the lab. Ford has been coming to the lab for at least a decade. (Post)


Singapore
Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Singapore's ambassador to the United States, was in the Gulf Coast region visiting sites of interest to his country. In Florida he visited Pensacola International Airport, where Singapore's VT MAE plans to build a $37 million maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. (Post)

The next day he was in Mobile, Ala., where VT MAE, owned by Singapore Technologies Engineering, has had an MRO since 1991. The company also owns shipbuilder VT Halter Marine, which has operations in Pascagoula, Miss.

The Gulf Coast Reporters' League just-released aerospace newsletter had a feature story about VT MAE and its growth in the region. The president of VT MAE, Bill Hafner, said he's "bullish" about the Gulf Coast I-10 aerospace region, which he sees as primed for growth. The expansion of VT MAE underscores that. The new operation in Pensacola will have 300 to 500 workers, and there's already talk about a "Phase II" that would double the company's footprint in Pensacola (Post)


Growth
There were other stories in the aerospace newsletter published early in the week about some growing operations. One of the stories was about the biggest company in aerospace, Boeing. The company about 100 years ago supplied planes for fledgling Navy fliers in Pensacola, and today its Northwest Florida operation is expanding its role of keeping U.S. warplanes the most up-to-date in the world. For 20 years now, Boeing has been a part of the Panhandle’s Fort Walton Beach. And its footprint in Fort Walton Beach has grown with the opening of a second building. (Post)

Boeing is not the only company growing. Over in Kiln, Miss., a company that works on large, loud, multi-engine military aircraft has found it helpful to be in a location where engines can be run at any time day or night. That's precisely what Selex Galileo can do at its two-hangar South Mississippi operation located within the massive acoustical buffer zone of NASA’s Stennis Space Center. (Post)

Speaking of growth, that's also in the cards at Mobile Aeroplex. Just ask Phil Gurvitz. He doesn't hedge when asked why France's AKKA Technologies decided to set up shop not far from where Airbus will assemble U.S.-built jetliners. While AKKA’s initial staffing will be small, Gurvitz sees a bright future for aerospace engineering at the Mobile Aeroplex, which he sees as being in the “perfect position” for growth. (Post)


F-35
An Italian KC-767A tanker refueled an F-35A for the first time in a test in California. The milestone comes as Italy prepares to flight test its first domestically-assembled F-35A, which rolled off the Cameri assembly line in March. It will eventually be flown to the United States to support pilot training at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The F-35 refueling was July 29 over Edwards Air Force Base.

Italy will eventually share an F-35 reprogramming lab at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., with Norway. Eglin is home to the F-35 integrated training center and F-35 reprogramming lab. Groundbreaking for the lab will be next year. (Post)

-- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $431.2 million modification to the previously awarded Lot IX F-35 advance acquisition contract for the procurement of production non-recurring items, like special tooling and test equipment.

The work will be done in Texas, California, New Hampshire, the United Kingdom, Florida, Georgia, Italy, Minnesota, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Denmark, the Netherlands and Utah and is expected to be completed in December 2018. This modification combines purchase for the Air Force, Navy, Marines, non-U.S. Department of Defense participants and foreign military sales customers. (Post)

Week in review (7/26 to 8/1)

It's been a long time coming, but the Marine Corps variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has achieved Initial Operational Capability. The 10 F-35B Lightning II fighters of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., can now be deployed anywhere in the world. (Post)

The B variant can take off from short runways and land vertically, and gaining IOC is a milestone in the evolution of the controversial fighter, which has taken longer to develop and at a higher cost than initially expected.

The Air Force version of the fighter is the F-35A and the carrier-capable Navy variant is the F-35C. The A model is a conventional take-off and landing model that will go operational in the fall of 2016. The C model, which has a tailhook and will be used both by the Navy and Marines, is scheduled to go operational in 2018.

The Marines plan on buying 340 B and 80 C models. The first F-35B deployment is scheduled to take place in 2017, with VMFA-121 moving to Iwakuni, Japan. The jets are operational but not in heir final form. More capability, including the use of the plane's gun, will come down the line.

The decision to declare the F-35B’s IOC was made following an Operational Readiness Inspection that assessed the Marine Corps' ability to employ the high-tech weapon system in an operational environment.

The topic of the F-35 is closely followed by folks in this region. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center and F-35 reprogramming lab.

-- In another F-35 item, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $37.5 million contract modification for a delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. The modification authorizes engineering change proposals for air vehicle retrofit modifications to be incorporated into designated aircraft and supporting subsystems in support of the F-35 aircraft Block 3F requirements.

This modification also includes retrofit modification kits, installation, and labor to incorporate the modification kits. Work will be performed in Texas, Georgia and California and is expected to be completed in August 2018. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Post)


Economic development
OK, I avoided putting the headline "Mobile gets REEL," but that would have been valid. The REEL Group of France is establishing its first U.S. facility with 4,500-square-feet of office, warehouse, and workshop space at Mobile Aeroplex, which is also the site where Airbus will build A320  jetliners.

The announcement is in direct response to REEL Service Division being awarded the jigs and tools maintenance service provider contract for the Airbus A320 plant. The newly formed subsidiary, REEL USA Corp., is expected to create more than 20 full-time positions. The lease allows for expansion. (Post)

-- On another front, two sites in Baldwin County were awarded designation as Alabama AdvantageSites. The 39.5-acre Segers Aerospace Site, originally part of the Fairhope Industrial Park but now owned by Aviation Industrial Group Inc., became Baldwin County’s seventh Advantage site when it was given the designation early in the week. (Post)

Then later in the week, the 78.6-acre Gulf Shores Business and Aviation Park, adjacent to the Jack Edwards National Airport, became the county’s eighth AdvantageSite. The site is owned by the Gulf Sores Airport Authority. The AdvantageSite program, coordinated by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Commerce, Alabama Gas Corp., Alabama Power Co., the North Alabama Industrial Development Association and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. (Post)


Aircraft
A NASA-owned C-130 is almost halfway through some modification work being done at South Alabama Regional Airport in Andalusia, Ala. The Kearns Group of Daleville and Pinnacle Solutions of Huntsville are doing electrical and structural work on the plane, which got to the airport in June.

It's being modified for NASA’s Atmospheric Carbon and Transport-America mission, which will measure atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane over the central and eastern U.S. during all four seasons. (Post)

-- While on the subject of aircraft, the new AC-130J "Ghostrider" gunship arrived during the week at Hurlburt Field, Fla., home of Air Force Special Operations Command. The plane, a heavily modified Lockheed Martin C-130, combines the firepower capabilities of the AC-130W and AC-130U gunships. The gunships are most notable for circling a target and firing down with pinpoint accuracy.

This particular aircraft spent the last few months at nearby Eglin Air Force Base where it went through an array of tests. Four pilots assigned to the new 2nd Detachment of the 1st Special Operations Group will put the aircraft through operational testing. A second Ghostrider is currently undergoing testing at Eglin. (Post)


Contracts
L-3 Communications Corp., Madison, Miss., was awarded a $274.6 million contract modification for continued contractor logistic support for about 235 government aircraft (40 RC-12s, 167 C-12s, 28 UC-35s). Work will be performed in Madison with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2016. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting authority. … General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Aerospace, Bothell, Wash., was awarded a $7.2 million contract for heated and mobile munitions employing rockets. Work will be performed at Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be complete by April 29, 2016. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (7/19 to 7/25)

Gunship conversion work, a forecast about the growing need for aircraft maintenance technicians, the departure of the last QF-4 from Tyndall, and the establishment of a machinist union office in Mobile were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast I-10 region during the week.

Here's your week in review:

Economic development
Lockheed Martin will perform a series of modifications to an MC-130J to convert it to an AC-130J. The work, which will cost around $20 million, will be done at Bob Sikes Airport near Crestview. Right now, two aircraft are scheduled to be converted, but the Air Force Special Operations Command plans to modify 33 of in the coming years.

The AC-130J is designed to provide close air support for ground troops and air interdiction roles such as strike coordination and reconnaissance. It’s being developed to replace the AC-130H, AC-130U and AC-130W gunships. (Post)

While on the subject of Lockheed Martin, that company is buying Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies for $9 billion. Lockheed Martin, already the largest military contractor, builds the F-35 and other military aircraft. This will also give the company the Black Hawk helicopter. It's Lockheed Martin's largest acquisition since it bought Martin Marietta Corp two decades ago. (Post).

All three companies have operations in the Gulf Coast region. Lockheed Martin has space-related activities at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center, Miss. It also has an operation in Fort Walton Beach that works, among other things, with the F-35. United Technologies has an operation in Foley, Ala., and Sikorsky has been involved in aircraft maintenance activities in Milton and Pensacola, Fla.


Workers
Boeing released a new forecast showing continued strong demand for commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians as the world's airlines add 38,000 airplanes to the global fleet over the next 20 years. Boeing's 2015 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects that between 2015 and 2034 the world will require 558,000 new commercial airline pilots and 609,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians. (Post)

Speaking of workers, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has opened an organizing office in Mobile for Airbus workers interested in forming a union at the company's assembly line.

The office will be staffed by full-time IAM organizers and supported by community allies and volunteers from IAM and AFL-CIO-affiliated unions in the Mobile and Gulf Coast area.

The $600 million A320 assembly line will employ about 1,000 workers and produce four to five passenger jets each month when in fully operational. The first plane, an A321, will be delivered to JetBlue in 2016. (Post)


Bases
The last QF-4 from the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron left Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base Friday. It's now at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., where it will remain for its final missions. The F-4 originally was used as a fighter during the Vietnam War, but it began serving Tyndall as a QF-4 aerial target in 1997. The departure of the QF-4 marks the full transition for the 82nd ATS to the QF-16, which, like the QF-4, can be flown manned or unmanned. (Post)

-- In Okaloosa County, county commissioners agreed to ask the Air Force to grant the county ownership of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport property, which is located within Eglin Air Force Base. The county said it can no longer afford the $400,000 lease payment it makes to Eglin each year and still hold on to its three major airline carriers, United, American and Delta.

County Airports Director Sunil Harman said owning the airport land would allow the county to develop new streams of revenue such as hotels, gas stations and convenience stores. (Story)

-- Navy Cmdr. Abaxes Williams, a pilot with the Navy Reserve’s Strike Fighter Squadron 204, was awarded the Air Medal earlier this month for an incident that occurred last year over the Gulf of Mexico. He was flying an F/A-18s out of Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base when it was hit by lightning at 23,000 feet. He struggled for 25 minutes to wear off the effect and control the fighter until he could return to the Belle Chasse base. (Post)


Contract
PAE Aviation and Technical Services LLC, Marlton, N.J., was awarded an $115.9 million contract for aerial targets operations and maintenance services. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2022. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (7/12 to 7/18)

The expansion of Fort Walton Machining, progress in getting an MRO in Pensacola, another test of the RS-25 rocket engine and contracts for the F-35 were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week.

Here's your week in review:


Economic development
Fort Walton Machining is expanding, a move that will mean 30 new positions and more than $1.5 million in new manufacturing equipment. It was the first company to apply for the city of Fort Walton Beach's Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption, an incentive for new and expanding businesses approved by voters in August. Greg Britton, CEO of Fort Walton Machining, said the equipment will give the Northwest Florida company greater capabilities in aerospace manufacturing. (Post)

Meanwhile, over in Pensacola, Fla., the project to bring an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility to Pensacola International Airport is inching ahead. An $8 million contract was awarded during the week to Phoenix Construction Services to expand the cargo apron. The apron is needed as part of the VT MAE project.

Another contract for $2.5 million was awarded to Atkins North America for architectural and engineering design for the VT MAE maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. Local company Greenhut Construction was awarded construction manager privileges when it comes time to build the facility, slated for January 2016.

VT MAE, which has a 1,000-employee MRO operation in Mobile, Ala., chose Pensacola for an expansion project. The two-hangar facility will employ some 300 workers when it opens. (Post)


Space
A Space Launch System RS-25 engine had a 535-second test Friday at NASA's Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. During the test, operators ran the engine through a series of power levels, including firing at 109 percent of the engine's rated power.

Data collected at various power levels will aid in adapting the former space shuttle engines to the new SLS vehicle, including development of an all-new engine controller and software. Four RS-25s will power the SLS core stage. (Post)

The Gulf Coast is heavily involved in NASA's SLS program. In addition to engines being tested at Stennis Space Center, the core stage is being built by Boeing at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. That's also where Lockheed Martin does work on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.


Weapons
Lockheed Martin demonstrated its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), engaging two laser-designated stationary targets during recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. In the first test, the missile flew four kilometers, engaged its precision-strike, semi-active laser and hit the stationary target. During the second flight, the missile flew four kilometers, acquired the target using its precision strike, semi-active laser while simultaneously tracking the target with its millimeter wave radar, and hit the stationary target. (Post)


Bases
The 177th Combined Arms Training Brigade had a change of command ceremony during the week at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center parade field. Col. William Chlebowski relinquished command to Col. Brandon Robbins during the ceremony. Robbins previously served as operations officer for the U.S. Army 101st Air Assault Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. Chlebowski has commanded the 177th CATB since July 2013. Camp Shelby, Miss., is the nation's largest state-owned training site. (Post)

-- At Fort Rucker, Ala., Shannon Miller became the garrison commander in a change of command ceremony earlier this month. Miller now has responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day operations at the base in South Alabama. She replaced Col. Stuart McRae, who becomes deputy of the Installation Management Command Pacific Region at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Fort Rucker, near Dothan, is the home of Army aviation training. (Post)

Also at Fort Rucker, the base will lose 186 soldiers and an unspecified number of civilians by Sept. 30, 2018 due to an Army-wide reduction of 40,000 soldiers and 17,000 civilians. The Aviation Center of Excellence itself is expected to lose about 68 percent of the 186 soldiers, according to a Fort Rucker news release. (Post)


F-35
Lockheed Martin of Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded two contracts during the week in connection with the F-35. The contracting activity in both cases is the Naval Air Systems Comand, Patuxent River, Md.

In one contract, the company was awarded a $718.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for non-air vehicle spares, support equipment, Autonomic Logistics Information System hardware and software upgrades, supply chain management, full mission simulators and non-recurring engineering services in support of low-rate initial production Lot 8 F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, international partner, and foreign military sales customers.

Work will be done in Orlando, Fla. (70 percent); Fort Worth (17 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (7 percent); Owego, N.Y. (4 percent); Greenville, S.C. (1 percent); and Samlesbury, U.K. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2020. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force (12 percent); Navy (5 percent); Marine Corps (16 percent); international partners (39 percent); and FMS customers (28 percent). (Post)

In the second contract, Lockheed was awarded a $101.3 million modification to the previously awarded Lot IX F-35 advance acquisition contract for the procurement of helmet mounted display systems for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, international partners and the governments of Japan and Israel under the Foreign Military Sales program. Yhe HMDS is a helmet display system that provides the pilot with aircraft/mission data on the visor display. Data consists of flight, navigation, and weapons symbology and video from onboard sensors.

Work will be done in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (65 percent) and Fort Worth (35 percent) and is expected to be completed in June 2018. This modification combines purchase for the Air Force (46.5 percent); Marine Corps (22.4 percent); Navy (14.9 percent); international partners (12 percent); and the governments of Japan (0.45 percent) and Israel (3.75 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. (Post)


Contract
Onvoi LLC, Newbury Park, Calif., was awarded a $9.2 million contract for training flight services in support of the Air Force Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training Course. Training services will include ground-controlled intercept target training, basic airmanship training, live-fire training, weapons system evaluations, and major command-directed development test and evaluations. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2019. The 325th Contracting Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. (Post)

Week in review (7/5 to 7/11)

When the Blue Angels perform before the hometown crowd in Pensacola, Fla., you can guarantee there will be a lot of stories on television, in the newspaper and online. But I don't think I've seen any of them mention that there once was a television series about the team.

It was back in 1960 and filmed in black and white, and like most shows during that time was only a half hour. It ran for one season, but I do remember watching it. I couldn't swear to it since my memory is a bit foggy, but I probably had a model of a Blue Angels plane.

You can still see one of the shows on YouTube. This particular episode shows the team, which was flying F9F-2 Panther jets during that era, being assigned to the carrier USS Princeton during the Korean War. The team, in fact, was disbanded and the pilots sent into combat for a time, so this episode is based on something that really happened to the team.

Back to today, the team performed at Pensacola Beach over the weekend, one of two shows during the season that's before the hometown crowd. The second show is at the end of the season and done at Naval Air Station Pensacola. In addition to the show, the team during the week announced the officers selected for the 2016 team, the team's 70th anniversary. (Post)

By the way, the Blue Angels television series wasn't the only show that highlighted Pensacola-based Navy pilots. Beginning in 1997 there was a television series called "Pensacola: Wings of Gold" that ran for three seasons. Despite the name, it was all filmed in California, obvious from the sight of mountains in the background.

But while I'm on the subject of the Navy and Pensacola, Naval Air Station Pensacola was among the winners of the 2015 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence. The award recognizes outstanding and innovative efforts to operate and maintain U.S. military installations.

Other bases that won were the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Joint Base Andrews, Md.; and DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pa. (Post)


Airbus
Airbus completed its first flight of an electric plane across the English Channel on Friday. The plane was a two-seat E-Fan demonstrator, powered by lithium batteries. It took 36 minutes to fly from Lydd in southern England to Calais, France.

Airbus subsidiary VoltAir SAS plans to have two-seat E-Fan 2.0 planes flying in 2017. Construction of a new factory in Pau in southwest France begins in 2016. A four-seat hybrid model with a range extender powered by traditional fuel will follow in 2019. (Post).

Maybe Airbus will decide to make these for the U.S. market in Mobile, Ala., where it has an A320 assembly line. After all, it does have room to expand. Just saying.


Airport
Pensacola International Airport and OHM Concessions Group during the week held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the airport's renovated and expanded food and beverage concession areas. The city's contract with OHM is expected to generate more than $1 million over ten years in additional non-airline revenue for airport. (Post)

Week in review (6/28 to 7/4)

Funds for Northwest Florida to protect bases, a Boeing expansion in Fort Walton Beach, Airbus tapping another subcontractor for its Mobile plant, and more contracts for the F-35 were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week leading up to Independence Day.

Here's your week in review:


Bases
Northwest Florida is getting more than $900,000 in defense grants to enhance the region's military bases. Santa Rosa County, home of Naval Air Station Whiting Field, will get $360,000 through Florida's Defense Reinvestment and Infrastructure Grant Programs and $41,310 from the Florida Defense Support Task Force.

Okaloosa County, home of Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, will get $300,000 through the reinvestment and infrastructure program, and Escambia County, home of Naval Air Station Pensacola, will get $170,000, also through the reinvestment and infrastructure grant program. In addition, Walton County, which has a portion of Eglin, will get $38,000 through the reinvestment grant program. (Post)


Expansion
The biggest name in aerospace and defense has increased its footprint in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Boeing has taken over the 83,000 square-foot former Edwin Watts Golf facility, where it will have laboratories and an expanded repair center.

Boeing's Fort Walton Beach location is home to the Boeing Special Operations Forces Programs group that modifies, tests, repairs and services aircraft used by U.S. Air Force Special Operations, as well as foreign military modifications to partner nations. (Post)

In the Gulf Coast I-10 region, Boeing also has an operation in New Orleans at Michoud Assembly Facility, where it's building the core stage of NASA's powerful Space Launch System.


Airbus
Speaking of big names in aerospace, Airbus has chosen AAA Aerospace USA to provide various services for its plant at Mobile Aeroplex. The on-site manufacturing company, with an operation in Montgomery, Ala., offers subcontracting services for aircrafts and aircraft elements and is part of the larger AAA Group, servicing the United States, Asia and Europe. It will provide engine installation, wheel assembly, and test and battery management services among others for the A320 assembly line. (Post)


F-35
An F-35 was recently outperformed by an F-16 in a dogfight test, according to the military blog War Is Boring. The F-35 was bested in nearly all aerial maneuvering in a January test near Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

But Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the F-35 Integration Office of the Air Force, said the report was misleading since the F-35 involved in the test was a variation designed for flight sciences testing and was not equipped with newer features.

The general also points out that the F-35, which is designed to shoot down a foe without being pointed in that aircraft's direction, is designed to take out enemy aircraft before they even know an F-35 is in the area. (Post)

-- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $14.4 million modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract to provide the Reprogramming Center - West, at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif., with the primary mission equipment required for the lab to meet Partner and Foreign Military Sales Mission Data File requirements in support of the F-35.

This contract combines purchases for the governments of Japan (33.4 percent); South Korea (33.3 percent); and Israel (33.3 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth and expected to be completed in October 2017. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting authority. (Post)

Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the Reprogramming Center - East, and its reprogramming lab has been up and running since 2010. It provides mission data for the F-35, the brains behind the brawn, so to speak. It provides information on terrain and enemy threat information, including enemy radar, surface-to-air missiles and fighters, along with data on friendly forces, non-belligerents and commercial aircraft.

Eglin also will be the home of the Australia, Canada, United Kingdom Reprogramming Lab and the Norway, Italy Reprogramming Lab. The labs will permit those nations to customize mission data that will be loaded on their planes. If you're interested in learning more about the labs, take a look at the story “Putting the fight in the F-35,” which appeared in our April aerospace newsletter.

-- In another F-35-related contract, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $19.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract for requirements development and maturation efforts for the F-35.

Work will be done in Fort Worth and is expected to be completed in March 2016. This contract combines purchase for the U.S. Navy (28.7 percent); U.S. Air Force (27.54 percent); U.S. Marine Corps. (19.7 percent); and the governments of Australia (3.61 percent); Canada (1.7 percent); Italy (2.38 percent); Netherlands (1.1 percent); Norway (3.62 percent); Turkey (6.92 percent); and United Kingdom (4.73 percent) under a Cooperative Agreement.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Post)


Space
Last weekend an unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station aboard a Dragon cargo ship broke apart after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Fla. More than 5,000 pounds of cargo was on board.

The failure was SpaceX's first by a Falcon 9 after seven previous supply mission. It's the 19th Falcon 9 launch since 2010. SpaceX's Falcon 9 is expected to eventually be used to launch crew missions. SpaceX is developing its next generation of rocket engines at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)

-- NASA awarded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) of McLean, Va., a modification to the NASA Integrated Communications Services (NICS) contract, which provides and manages the vast majority of NASA’s information technology communications infrastructure services.

This $11.5 million contract modification adds telephone and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) support for NASA’s Kennedy Space Flight Center, Fla. The NICS contract consists of a three-year base period, one two-year option, one three-year option and one two-year option.

The NICS contract is administered by the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Post)


Weapons
The United States plans to export an advanced, tungsten-laden bomb designed to cause less collateral damage than its predecessors. The 500-pound BLU-129/B was originally produced by Aerojet Rocketdyne as a quick reaction capability for the war in Afghanistan as a way of reducing civilian deaths by using a carbon-fiber-wound composite shell casing to limit the blast radius.

The bomb entered service in 2011 but production ended earlier this year. Now, the Air Force says it's interested in restarting production for both domestic and international consumption, with the government approving exports to any nation that already purchases joint direct attack munition (JDAM) guidance assemblies. (Post)


Contracts
Pratt and Whitney of East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $269.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract for F119 Engine Sustainment. Some of the work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., but other work locations are in California, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, Virginia, Nevada, Texas and Oklahoma. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. … Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $36.8 million contract for System Improvement Program II- Engineering Manufacturing, Development. The contractor will provide an incremental software solution for AIM-120D to improve missile performance against rapidly advancing threats. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC, Rocket Center, W.Va., was awarded a $6.6 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze system. Contractor will provide 226 HTVSF systems, eight D-1 Inert Bomb Fuzes, 35 D-2 Dummy Load Trainer and Dummy Initiators, 13 D-5/B Classroom Trainers, and 325 Retaining Ring Torque Adapters (Spanner Wrenches) under the contract. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (6/21 to 6/27)

The delivery of major sections for the first U.S.-built Airbus jetliner, a key rocket engine test and cuts to some aviation-related projects were among the stories of interested to the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor during the week.

Here's your week in review:


Airbus
Those major jetliner sections that will be assembled into the first U.S.-built Airbus jet are now at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. They were moved last Sunday from the Port of Mobile to the plant in a Mardi Gras-style parade. Thousands of onlookers lined the streets to watch as the parts were trucked to the facility. The first plane will be delivered to JetBlue next year. (Post)

Airbus sees the Mobile plant as key in helping it reduce the backlog of orders to the popular A320 family of jetliners. The Mobile plant will build the A319, A320 and A321. Three other plants, one in Germany, one in France and one in China, also build the A320 family of planes.

Because of the possibility that the monthly production schedule will be increased because of demand, there's also the possibility that an additional assembly line will be established in Germany at the current Hamburg plant.

The Mobile complex, by the way, has room to grow.


Space
While a lot of the focus in  this region has been on Mobile, to the west at Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests are continuing on the rocket engine that will help power U.S. astronauts deeper into space than ever before. The RS-25 developmental engine had a 650-second test firing during the week at the NASA facility. It was the longest firing to date of the engine, the fourth in the current series of tests.

Four RS-25 engines, modified versions of the engines that powered the space shuttle fleet, will power the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System. The launch vehicle, the most powerful ever, will boost the Orion crew vehicle that will take astronauts deeper into space than ever before.

The main goal of the series of tests is to see how the engine performs under simulated temperature, pressure and other changes required by the SLS design, and to develop a new controller, or "brain," for the engine. The first test of the current series was in January, and three more tests are scheduled for July and August. (Post)

The Gulf Coast region is heavily involved in the SLS. In addition to the testing at SSC, the core stage is being built by Boeing at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, and the Orion is being built by Lockheed Martin, also at Michoud.


Budget
Northwest Florida got some unwelcome news during the week when Florida Gov. Rick Scott cut three of Northwest Florida's aviation-related projects from the state budget. He used his line-item veto to cut $461.4 million from the $78 billion budget for projects across the state.

The cuts included $3 million for Pensacola International Airport to complete the purchase of parcels needed for the Airport Commerce Park, $1.5 million for development of Whiting Aviation Park in Milton and $1 million for expansion of the National Flight Academy at Naval Air Station Pensacola. (Post)

In all three of those cases, alternative sources of funding will be pursued.


Bases
The F/A-18s of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team have been repaired following two incident of parts falling off wings on two separate occasions. The first incident was at the May 23 air show in Rochester, N.Y., when the upper leading edge flap on the right wing fell off during a practice.

The second incident was June 6 in Rockford, Ill., when the part that moves the leading edge up or down was lost on the left wing. The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. (Post)

Speaking of the Blue Angels, former lead pilot Capt. Greg McWherter retired Saturday during a ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola. McWherter commanded the Blue Angels for four years, ending in 2012. McWherter, a popular Blue Angels leader, was found guilty of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice for allegedly allowing sexual harassment while in charge of the team. (Story)

-- A Navy TH-57 helicopter assigned to Training Air Wing 5 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla., made a hard landing during the week at Navy Outlying Landing Field Santa Rosa near Milton. The two pilots were able to exit the helicopter on their own. (Post)


Contract
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded $237.8 million for delivery order 0031 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for initial spares in support of low-rate initial production Lot 9 F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales customers. Spares to be procured include F-35 common spares; F-35A, B, and C variant unique spares; and aloft spares packages and deployment spare packages. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. … Multiple companies, including RMS, Panama City, Fla., were awarded a combined $5 billion contract. The contractors will provide a full range of base life and operating support and logistical support on an as-required basis to support all programs with disciplines consistent with the AFCAP description of services. Work will be performed at locations worldwide determined by individual needs effective Oct. 1, 2015, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2021. The 772nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … SURVICE Engineering, Belcamp, Md., was awarded a $7.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract for SEEK EAGLE modeling, analysis, and tools support. The modification is to increase the ceiling price of the basic contract in order to award Task Order 0011. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by Dec. 22, 2015. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (6/14 to 6/20)

This past week will go down as one of the most historic for the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor. A shipment from Europe carrying major sections for the first U.S.-built Airbus jetliner arrived in Mobile, Ala., late in the week.

On Sunday a Mardi Gras-style parade will be held as the sections that have been placed on trucks are brought to the Airbus manufacturing complex at the Mobile Aeroplex. Airbus is planning to inaugurate the new plant in an opening ceremony Sept. 14, according to Flightglobal.

That first plane, an A321 for customer JetBlue, will take far longer to build than any other passenger jet that will eventually come out of the Airbus final assembly line, which is now called the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility.

The cargo ship, BBC Fuji, left Hamburg May 29 and arrived in Mobile Wednesday evening. The components have been stored at the APM Terminal along the Mobile River since the ship’s arrival until the Sunday parade. (Post)

As if to underscore the need for the Mobile plant, Airbus during the Paris Air Show won $57 billion worth of business for a total of 421 aircraft, a figure that includes firm orders and commitments. The A320 family got 103 firm orders and 263 commitments worth $41.4 billion. Of these, 323 are the new engine option, taking total orders and commitments for the A320neo family beyond 4,000 since launch in December 2010. The plant in Mobile will build A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. (Post)

Among those orders, Korean Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus to buy up to 50 A321neo aircraft. It’s a new customer for the single aisle A320 family. The agreement, covering 30 aircraft plus 20 options, was announced at the Paris Air Show. (Post)

By the way, if you think the Mobile plant is the final word in A320 final assembly lines, think again. Hamburg's Finkenwerder plant is the most likely location for a new assembly line if Airbus opts to raise monthly production rates beyond its commitment of 50, according to Flightglobal.

Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier, speaking during the Paris Air Show, said the company would take a decision on an increase this year but reiterated the need to ensure the supply chain could cope. He said that at higher rates, the company would need another final assembly line, adding "Probably we'd put it in Hamburg." (Story)

Meanwhile, the Mobile Airport Authority announced during the week that MAAS Aviation will build a $39 million twin-bay paint facility at Mobile Aeroplex that will create 80 jobs and focus on the commercial maintenance, repair and overhaul market in the Americas.

The new facility will be in addition to the soon-to-be completed facility at the Airbus manufacturing plant that will handle the jetliners made at the Mobile manufacturing facility. Ireland-based MAAS also operates paint shops in Hamburg, Germany, and the Netherlands. (Post)

The Mobile Airport Authority also said during the week that Safran company Messier-Bugatti-Dowty will set up shop at the Mobile Aeroplex. The company provides aircraft landing and braking systems and will open an office and workshop at the Aeroplex at the end of the month. A Safran building at the Aeroplex slated to open in the next few years eventually will house Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and several sister companies. (Post)

In addition to those operations, Hutchinson of France announced on the first day of the Paris air show that it will open an operation in Mobile that will create about 100 jobs over the next three years. Hutchinson provides vibration control systems, fluid management systems, and sealing solution technologies. The Hutchinson center of excellence will service the region’s aerospace industry, including the Airbus final assembly. (Post)

-- Birmingham may or may not be the site of an airline aviation industry conference this fall. Mayor William Bell told al.com during the week that the city was selected for a conference of Airbus suppliers. But a Mobile television station and then the Mobile newspaper reported that Airbus denied it had any such plans and wasn’t officially participating in organizing a Birmingham conference. (Post)

As they say, stay tuned.


Space
This item may have been lost in all the hoopla over Airbus, but it’s significant for the continued growth of the Gulf Coast Aerospace region.

Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss., signed an agreement for test services and test stand support of the AR1 multi-element pre-burner and main injector. Currently in development, the AR1 engine is a replacement for the Russian-made RD-180 engines that power the Atlas V launch vehicle.

This agreement builds on the current assembly and testing of the company's RS-68 and RS-25 engines at NASA Stennis. Under the agreement, the company will pay NASA Stennis to modify the E-1 complex, cell 1 test stand over a period of six months. The test stand will be configured to conduct AR1 staged combustion testing. (Post)


Bases
High-flying balloons that promise to one-day bring affordable internet to those with no access are being tested at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., according to several press reports.

Two years ago Google launched 30 balloons into the stratosphere from New Zealand in Project Loon. They traveled twice around the world more than 15 miles up. Balloons were inflated to 49 feet in diameter and are being subjected to extreme temperatures at McKinley. The balloons have stayed aloft so long because they have managed to reduce leaks. The tests are McKinley are designed to engineers can get an up-close look at how the balloons behave in extreme cold. (Post)

-- Raytheon and the Army successfully completed a series of TALON Laser Guided Rocket shots during recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Firing 25 rockets from both Apache D and E models, the series will help define the Army's small guided munitions requirement and acquisition strategy while also developing combat tactics, techniques and procedures for use with guided Hydra-70 rockets. (Post)

-- In two separate change of command ceremonies during the week at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Col. Adrian Spain took over as commander of the 53rd Wing Thursday and Col. Lansing Pilch assumed command off the 33rd Wing from Col. Todd Canterbury. (Post)


Contracts
Lagan Construction LLC, Woodbridge, Va., was awarded a $14.5 million contract for repairs to South Field runways 5/23 and 14/32 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla. Work will be completed by June 2016. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Fla. is the contracting activity. … Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., was awarded a $38.8 million contract modification for procurement of critical parts and associated support for two CH-53K system demonstration test article aircraft. Work will be performed at multiple sites, including 2 percent in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and 2 percent in Jackson, Miss. Work is expected to be completed in December 2018. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $68.6 million modification to previously awarded contract for increased F-22 flying hours in 2015. Work will be performed at Fort Worth and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2015. Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., is home to F-22 training and an operational squadron.

Week in review (6/7 to 6/13)

A rocket engine test at Stennis Space Center; an announced expansion of an aerospace company in Mobile; a planned Mardi Gras-type welcome for aircraft components arriving in Mobile; and a Pensacola institute's outstanding showing in a robotics competition were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor during the week.


Here's your week in review:


Space
At Stennis Space Center, Miss., an RS-25 engine fired up for 500 seconds during the week in the third test of the engines that will power the Space Launch System. The test was on the A-1 test stand, and four more tests are planned for the developmental engine. A cluster of four RS-25 engines will power SLS, the NASA rocket that will take astronauts further into space than ever before. (Post)


Economic development
In Mobile, Ala., Star Aviation announced it will expand its facility at the Mobile Aeroplex and hire between 20 and 50 additional employees over the next two years. The company expects to break ground in the next few weeks on a new 24,000-square-foot facility, adjacent to the company’s principal office. The company currently employs 85 workers in Mobile and 45 in Seattle. The privately held company specializes in aircraft aftermarket systems. (Post)


Airbus
There will be a Mardi Gras-style event when the first components for the very first U.S.-built Airbus jetliner are brought from the port to the Airbus assembly line at the Mobile Aeroplex. The four-mile parade from the port to the Aeroplex is scheduled for June 21. The components, including fuselage, wings and more, left Hamburg, Germany, May 29. (Post)

-- France's Safran said on Thursday it's focusing on meeting a steep ramp-up in jet engine production before deciding whether to stretch its already record commitments further. Both Airbus and Boeing have plans with engine makers to raise production of their most popular models by some 20 percent to 50-52 planes a month by 2017-2018. Airbus recently said it's considering pushing that figure even higher, to as many as 63 planes a month. The new A320 assembly line in Mobile, Ala., will play a role in reducing the backlog. Safran also has an engineering operation in Mobile. (Post)


Robotics
A team from the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) finished second in the DARPA Robotics Challenge held in Pomona, Calif., last weekend. IHMC won the $1 million prize for the second-place finish. "Running Man" from IHMC was the top team from the United States. The competition was designed to spur the development of robots that could perform human-like challenges, including driving a vehicle, cutting a hole in a wall and overcoming obstacles. (Post)


Bases
Air Force Col. Christopher P. Azzano, who became commander of the 96th Test Wing at
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., last week, has been nominated to the rank of brigadier general. The nomination was announced today by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. Azzano took over the 96th at a change of command ceremony June 4. (Post)


Contracts
Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Ariz., was awarded two contracts for the Small Diameter Bomb II. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity for both. One is a $31 million contract to exercise an option to previously awarded contract FA8672-10-C-0002 for Small Diameter Bomb II. The contractor will provide low-rate initial production for 144 SDB II Lot 1 munitions, 156 SDB II Lot 1 single weapon containers, eight SDB II weapon load crew trainers and conventional munitions maintenance trainers, four SDB II Lot 1 practical explosive ordnance disposal system trainers, and data. In the other contract, Raytheon was awarded a $10.6 million contract to provide Small Diameter Bomb II aircraft integration test assets, to include jettison test vehicles, and instrumented measurement vehicles on the F/A-18E/F aircraft. … NASA awarded a contract to Computer Sciences Corporation, Huntsville, Ala., to provide business, administrative and technical support services to the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The contract will be administered at the NSSC, which performs select business activities for all NASA centers.

Week in review (5/31 to 6/6)

A nearly $1 billion order for F-35 aircraft, a report about the cause of an F-35 fire a year ago, a separate report about the cause of a fatal helicopter crash, a change of command at Eglin Air Force Base and an order for Airbus A320s were some of the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week.

But before we get to the week in review, I'll address a couple of housekeeping items.

First, as many of you know, we don't publish our bi-monthly aerospace newsletter during the month when we publish our annual book. That happened Monday. But we decided that it makes sense to publish a newsletter after all, but use it to summarizing the book chapters. We figured that's perfect for folks who simply don't have the time or inclination to sift through the book.

If you're on our newsletter subscriber list, you’ll get the summary newsletter Tuesday.

Second, there was a story during the week that some media outlets reported that you didn't see in the Gulf Coast aerospace daily news feed – and never will. All I'll say is it involved the fight against ISIS.

It's our policy not to publish anything that may jeopardize our troops or provide information that an enemy might use to its advantage. Sure, the information is easy to find elsewhere, but you won't find it here.

We still practice traditional journalism at Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, and that calls for us to be gatekeepers. Part of that is to consider the consequences of what we publish. And if it's something that might help those who wish to destroy us, we won't use it. That will always be the case for us.

Now for your week in review:


F-35
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $920.4 million advance acquisition contract for 94 F-35 low rate initial production aircraft. The contract provides for 78 F-35A aircraft: 44 for the Air Force, 2 each for Italy and Turkey, 8 for Australia, 6 for Norway and 16 for various foreign military sales customers.

It also provides for the procurement of 14 F-35B aircraft: 9 for the Marine Corps, 3 for Britain and 2 for Italy, as well as 2 F-35C aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Texas, California, the United Kingdom, Florida, New Hampshire, Maryland and Italy and is expected to be completed in May 2019. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center and mission data repramming office. (Post)

-- Last year's fire that destroyed an F-35A at Eglin AFB and grounded the fleet of the fifth generation fighter for nearly a month was caused by "catastrophic engine failure," according to an Air Force investigation released at the end of the week.

The fire occurred June 23 as the pilot was beginning to take off. Investigators say it was caused by a fractured engine rotor. In addition to the grounding, the F-35 was also prohibited from flying to the Farnborough International Airshow in England. The problem has since been fixed by engine-maker Pratt and Whitney. (Post)

In a separate accident report for another aircraft, this one fatal, investigators say "spatial disorientation" caused a Louisiana National Guard UH-60 helicopters to crash in the water near Navarre, Fla., March 10. Spatial disorientation happens when a person's sense of where he or she is relative to surroundings is lost due to fog or other conditions. The helicopter crash killed seven Marines and four National Guardsmen. Another helicopter that was training at the time returned to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., because of the conditions. (Post)


Bases
The 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB held a change of command ceremony Thursday. Col. Christopher Azzano assumed command of the wing from Brig. Gen. David Harris. Azzano was the commander of the 72nd Air Base Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Harris received his second star prior to the ceremony. He becomes the Air Force Test Center commander at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. (Post)


Airbus
Frontier Airlines placed a firm order for 10 A321 and two A320 aircraft with the current engine option. This is the second time in less than a year that the Denver-based airline has ordered the A321. Including this order, Frontier has a backlog of 101 Airbus single-aisle aircraft. The company’s current in-service fleet consists of 34 A319s and 21 A320s. A new A320 family assembly line is opening in Mobile, Ala., this summer. It will be the fourth A320 assembly line operated by Airbus. (Post)


Contract
CAE USA Inc., Tampa, Fla., was awarded a $29.3 million contract that is zero-funded subject to availability of funds in accordance with federal acquisition regulation 52.232-18 as long-lead time is required for preparation to perform by the contractor. This contract is for fixed-wing flight training services. The contractor must have the plane for single-engine and upset-recovery training, flight simulators, hangar space and training space within a 50-mile radius of Fort Rucker, Ala., in order to perform the training services. Work will be performed in Fort Rucker, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2023. Army Contracting Command, Fort Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity.

Week in review (5/25 to 5/30)

We’ll have to mark up this past week as one of the most historically significant for the Gulf Coast aerospace corridor. Airbus sent its first shipment of aircraft sections to its brand new assembly plant in Mobile, Ala., one of the RS-25 engines that will power NASA's Space Launch System was tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., commercial space company SpaceX got the thumbs up to compete for military launches, and the QF-4 target drone has wrapped up its service to the military.

And this isn’t on the same historic playing field, but the Gulf Coast Reporters' League has finished its fifth annual aerospace book. It will be available Monday.

Here's your week in review:


Airbus
The ship carrying major aircraft sections for the Airbus jetliner that will be built in Mobile, Ala., is on its way. The BBC Fuji left Hamburg Friday for its 20-day voyage across the Atlantic. The major parts include fuselage sections, wings and tail sections built at plants in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain, all made from parts from an international supply chain.

They'll be assembled starting this year and will come out at the other end of the plant as an A321 jetliner for customer JetBlue. That plane will be delivered in the spring of 2016. (Post)

The Airbus plant at the Mobile Aeroplex will eventually produce four to five aircraft a month, but that figures is likely going to go upward. The sales chief of Airbus, John Leahy, said during the week that Airbus may be producing as many as 60 A320 family passenger jets per month, up from the current 42.

There are currently three plants that produce A320 family aircraft: Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; and Tianjin, China. Mobile will be the fourth assembly line, and will have to pull its weight with any increase in production.

Both Airbus and Boeing have huge backlogs for their popular single-aisle jetliners, and both are talking about producing more planes. The question has always been, can the supply chains keep up.

Airbus Chief Operating Officer Tom Williams said Airbus could ramp up to 60 planes per month as soon as 2018. A formal decision by the company is expected by the year's end. (Post)

Meanwhile, Airbus rival Boeing is making additional inroads in this Southeast region, specifically in Mississippi. The company chose Mississippi State University, thats up in Starkville, as the host for a research center that will lead development on composites the company will eventually use to build aircraft.

The Stitched Resin Infused Composite Research Center will be housed within MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. Boeing would provide $3 million on equipment and fund two full-time engineers.

But South Mississippi isn't being left out. The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg will serve as a technology incubator of next-generation composite material systems. Southern Miss has entered into a new master agreement with Boeing to accelerate research and development of next generation materials, including polymers and polymer matrix composites.

The new agreement builds on an existing relationship between Southern Miss and Boeing, which currently has a research contract to utilize the assets of the Accelerator, the university's business incubator. (Post)


Space
An RS-25 rocket engine had a successful 450-second test during the week at NASA's Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi. The hotfire test was at the A-1 test stand, where Apollo rocket stages and Space Shuttle main engines, also RS-25s, were tested in the past.

One of the objectives being evaluated in this test is the new engine controller, or "brain" of the engine. The controller monitors the engine conditions and communicates the performance needs. RS-25 engines tested on the stand will power the core stage of NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), which is being developed to carry humans deeper into space than ever before.

A cluster of four RS-25s will power the SLS. NASA engineers conducted an initial RS-25 engine test on the A-1 stand Jan. 9. RS-25 testing now is set to continue through the summer. (Post)

In another key event regarding space, the Air Force certified private company SpaceX to launch military satellites, opening the door to a lucrative market previously held solely by a Lockheed and Boeing joint venture. SpaceX can compete for military space contracts valued at $9.5 billion over the next five years.

SpaceX, established in 2002, is a leader in commercial space launches. Its  Dragon space capsule and Falcon launch vehicle have notched successful cargo flights to the International Space Station, and is moving toward approval to eventually carry astronauts. SpaceX is using facilities at Stennis Space Center, Miss., for R&D on its next generation rocket engine. (Post)


Bases
Another piece of history is going away. Tyndall Air Force Base's QF-4 aerial target drone operations came to an end in mid-May following Combat Archer, an air-to-air targeting mission for the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard.

The unmanned QF-4 provided full-scale targets for the pilots, but it's being replaced by the QF-16 Viper, a fourth-generation fighter. Six Vipers are scheduled for delivery to Tyndall by the close of 2015. (Post)


Cybersecurity
Space Florida and the University of West Florida signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to further develop cybersecurity technologies. Space Florida, the state's aerospace development authority, and UWF's Center for Research and Economic Opportunity will work together to determine opportunities to further develop and cybersecurity technologies to the commercial sector.

The region is heavily involved in cybersecurity. Pensacola's Corry Station is home to the Navy's Center for Information Dominance and a Department of Homeland Security Computer Emergency Readiness Team. Air Force cybersecurity personnel receive initial training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., and advanced training at Hurlburt Field, Fla.


Contracts
Odyssey Systems Consulting Group LTD, Wakefield, Mass., was awarded a $212.4 million contract for advisory and assistance services for the Armament Munitions Directorate in support of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. Work will be done at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. … Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $12 million contract to procure Griffin missiles. Work will be done in Tucson and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2016. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Sunshine Aero Industries Inc., Florala, Ala., was awarded a maximum $12.4 million contract for jet-A with additives fuel. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. … Three companies from Pensacola, Fla., were among 10 awarded a $45 million contract for architect and engineering design serves with the Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District. The companies are Hernandez Calhoun Design International P.A., BTA-TLC JV LLC and Bullock Tice Associates Inc. The contract is to support the Mobile District and South Atlantic Division military construction design program. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with a completion date of May 26, 2020. The Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity. … L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $56.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for logistics and depot level services for 119 TH-57 aircraft in support of the Naval Air Training Command's Undergraduate Helicopter Pilot Training Program. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Fla., and is expected to be completed in May 2016.

Week in review (5/17 to 5/14)

Not a day passes without some new item about unmanned aerial systems. Here's one from this week that caught my eye.

Pilots of F-35s will one day control a small fleet of drones from the cockpit while in flight. That's according to a new upcoming Air Force report on autonomous systems. Word about the report came from Air Force Chief Scientist Mica Endsley, as reported by Military.com.

The Air Force is poised to unveil a new strategy for unmanned aircraft systems next month, and it will discuss, among other things, greater levels of automation and a wider scope of missions. The new Air Force report will highlight plans to improve sensors, develop new algorithms and introduce new unmanned platforms.

The Air Force currently uses Predators, Reapers and Global Hawks, all remotely piloted from the ground. Endsley said the future will include drones that are smarter and will handle things like mission planning. (Story)

If you want to really get a sense of how far robotics has come, pay attention next month to the robotic competition that will take place in California. Top robotic  teams in the nation will go against each other to see which has created a robot that can handle chores like driving a vehicle, opening a door and turning a wrench.

One of the teams that will be competing is from the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola. In two previous competitions leading up to this one for a $2 million prize the Pensacola team came in first in the first competition and second the next time around with its 6-foot tall Atlas robot.

Now here's a review of the stories during the week of interest to the Gulf Coast Interstate 10 region:


F-35
Before pilots of F-35s can start controlling drones, the planes first have to achieve initial operating capability. Six Marine Corps F-35B fighters are currently aboard the USS Wasp off the East Coast for two weeks of operational tests.

Those tests are needed before the Marines can declare its first squadron of 10 F-35s ready for combat in July. The planes are assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 of Beaufort, S.C. That unit transferred to Beaufort last year from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where initial F-35 maintenance and pilot training is conducted. (Post)


Space
NASA started work earlier this month in preparation for testing the core stage of its new, powerful Space Launch System (SLS). One million pounds of structural steel is being added to the B-2 stand to handle the large SLS stage.

A major step in the modification involves extension of the test stand's Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA) framework, which supports the rocket stage for testing. It was repositioned last summer, now it's being heightened. An addition 100 feet will be added to the current 61-foot height.

When testing begins, all four RS-25 will be tested simultaneously. NASA's SLS is being developed to return humans to deep-space missions. Boeing is building the core stage at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. (Post)

Speaking of Stennis Space Center, NASA is looking for companies interested in using underutilized federal facilities at its rocket engine test site in South Mississippi, including the 300-foot tall, $350 million A-3 test stand.

NASA issued a request for information May 13. In addition to four test stands, NASA is looking for parties interested in utilizing portions of the Mississippi Army Ammunition Plant, which occupies a large tract in the north of Stennis Space Center. SSC will make all facilities available during the week of June 22-26 for site visits. (Post)


Economic development
Three new engineering companies set up shop recently at Alabama's Mobile Aeroplex, joining Safran Engineering and Airbus Engineering to form a new engineering cluster. Sonovision, Inter-Informatics and AKKA Technologies currently share some 3,500 square feet of space.

They have a total of five people between them, but are expected to grow over time and might move to a larger location at the complex. All of this is occurring because of the Airbus assembly line that is nearing its opening. The assembly line will build A320 family aircraft beginning this summer. (Post)


Contracts
Lockheed Martin Space System Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., was awarded a $735.5 million contract for sustainment of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF), Milstar, and Defense Satellite Communications System III. Work will be performed in California and Colorado, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2015. Core propulsion subsystem work on the AEHF was done at Stennis Space Center, Miss. … Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Inc., Bethesda, Md., was awarded a $12.5 million contract modification for an extension of the Next Generation Technical Services (NGTS) III requirement. The scope of this effort contains the management and technical support necessary to advance high performance computing services, capabilities, infrastructure, and technology. Work will be done at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Lorton, Va., with an estimated completion date of July 19, 2015.

Week in review (5/10 to 5/16)

It's that time of year again. In just a little over two weeks you'll be able to grab a copy of the fifth annual edition of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor book, either a free electronic PDF or you can order a printed book at cost, thanks to our underwriters.

As with previous issues, this book by  the Gulf Coast Reporters’ League has some updated chapters from last year's book along with new ones.

This year we have a chapter about the Airbus assembly line that opens this summer in Mobile, Ala., and a chapter about the activities of the top aerospace/defense companies in this region. And because the military is such a big part of this region, we have a chapter detailing all the military aircraft that call this region home. We also have a new section this year, a library that will help you find past chapters and articles we’ve written about this aerospace region.

Drop me a line if you want to get the free book PDF delivered to your inbox once it's available. Or remember to visit www.gulfcoastaerospacecorridor.com next month and download it from there.

Now for your week in review:


Space
Engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans began welding together the first pieces of the structure of the Orion crew module pathfinder. This pathfinder is a full-scale version of the current spacecraft design. It's used to demonstrate the manufacturing and assembly procedures that will be used to produce the actual flight hardware.

Using a pathfinder allows engineers to make sure those procedures work correctly and to improve the process before producing the flight article. This pathfinder will help NASA prepare for Orion's next mission to deep space atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket. (Post)

Speaking of Michoud, NASA, Michoud and the State of Louisiana honored their long partnership in support of the nation's space goals during Thursday's 2015 NASA Louisiana Aerospace Day at the capitol. NASA's economic, educational and cultural contributions to the state were recognized by proclamations in the House and Senate, while displays in the rotunda and on the lawn gave visitors a look at work underway on the Space Launch System, Orion and other NASA projects. (Post)


Aircraft
Back in 2013 four Navy SEALS were wounded when a CV-22 was hit with rounds of AK-47 and .50 caliber fire. It happened when three CV-22s tried to land in South Sudan to evacuate U.S. citizens from a civil war.

The military wanted a solution, so a Florida company came up with a composite armor kit that can be installed in the back cabin to protect passengers. The Protective Group’s kit has 66 armor plates sized to fit along the Osprey’s interior bulkheads and deck. Sixteen of the Advanced Ballistic Stopping System kits have been delivered to the Air Force. (Post)

-- The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., flew its WC-130J Hercules to check out the first storm of the 2015 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Ana, earlier this month. Ana made landfall May 11 near Myrtle Beach, S.C., and was quickly downgraded to a tropical depression. The Hurricane Hunters flew six sorties into the storm. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. (Post)


Contracts
Jacobs Technology Inc., of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was among a host of companies awarded a $634 million contract for research and development services to include services for the purpose of creating and developing new processes or products. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2023. … Army Fleet Support LLC, Fort Rucker, Ala., and Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., were among a host of companies were awarded a $1.1 billion order-dependent multiple award task order contract for equipment related services. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2023. … Jacobs Technology Inc., of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was among a host of companies awarded a $1.8 billion order dependent contract for knowledge based service-type requirements. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2023. ... Leebcor Services LLC, Williamsburg, Va., was awarded a $7.1 million task order under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract for renovation and repairs to buildings 3701 and 3706 at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla. Work is expected to be completed by May 2017. … M7 Aerospace LLC, San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a $13.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for logistics support for 12 Navy/Marine Corps UC-35 aircraft and seven Navy C-26 aircraft at nine global locations. Ten percent of the work will be at Fleet Marine Reserve Detachment, Belle Chase, La.

Week in review (5/3 to 5/9)

The first female F-35 pilot; another contract for engines for the F-35; a UAV center for excellence; the certification of another aerospace park; and the official opening of an aviation education center were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast region during the week.

Here's the week in review:


F-35
The first female F-35 pilot has started training. It's Lt. Col. Christine Mau, 33rd Fighter Wing Operations Group deputy commander, who completed her first training flight in the single-seat fighter following 14 virtual training missions in the full mission simulator at the F-35 Academic Training Center. (Post)

-- Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $7.6 million modification to a previously awarded F135 advanced acquisition contract for long-lead items for low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot X.

The long-lead items include group hardware supporting the LRIP Lot X delivery of conventional take off and landing (CTOL) propulsion systems for the Air Force, group hardware supporting the LRIP Lot X delivery of CTOL, carrier variant propulsion systems for the Navy/Marine Corps, and group hardware supporting the LRIP Lot X delivery of short take-off and vertical landing propulsion systems for the Marine Corps.

This contract combines purchases for the Navy (97.4 percent), and the Air Force (2.6 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center. (Post)


Unmanned
The Federal Aviation Administration chose Mississippi State University as the FAA's Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The center will focus on research, education and training in areas critical to integration of unmanned systems into the nation’s airspace.

The MSU team brings together 15 of the nation's leading UAS and aviation universities. It will be able to begin research by September 2015 and be fully operational and engaged in a research agenda by January 2016. The Gulf Coast region is heavily involved in unmanned systems. (Post)


Economic development
DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport has become the first certified industrial park in Walton County through Gulf Power's Florida First Sites program. The program was created in 2013 to help communities prepare sites to attract new industries and new jobs to the region. It's the seventh site to be certified in Northwest Florida. (Post)


Space
NASA selected research and technology proposals from 254 small businesses and 39 research institutions in the United States for grants to develop new technologies that will further NASA's journey to Mars. A dozen selected proposals involve technology being administered by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., each worth up to $125,000 in the Phase 1 period. (Post)


Bases
More than 2,100 personnel from across the Gulf Cost and New Mexico on earlier this month completed the two-week-long Air Force Special Operations Command training exercise Emerald Warrior 2015. Among the training sites were Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base and Apalachicola in Florida, Camp Shelby and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, the Pelham Range in Alabama, and Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. (Post)

-- The Navy's Blue Angels announced a new commanding officer for the demonstration
squadron's 2016-17 season. It's Navy Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi, a California native and experience F/A-18 pilot. He'll take over command after early November’s final show of the 2014-15 season at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Bernacchi will succeed Capt. Tom Frosch. (Post)


Education
Educators, politicians, students and residents gathered in Fairhope, Ala., last weekend to dedicate a new aviation training academy at H.L. "Sonny" Callahan Airport. The academy first opened to students in January and teaches aviation, industrial maintenance and welding to adult and high school students for college credit. (Post)


Contracts
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., was awarded a $38 million modification to a previously awarded contract. It provides 64 MQ-9 Electrical Safety Improvement Program retrofit kits on 64 Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Combat Command, and Air National Guard Block 1 aircraft. Air Force Special Operations Command is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla. … Airbus Defense and Space Inc., Herndon, Va., was awarded a $24 million modification to a multi-year contract for mission equipment packages to be cut into the Lakota Helicopter production line as part of the Army Aviation Restructure Initiative for training aircraft. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. … Applied Research Associates Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., was awarded an $18.8 million contract to provide research and development for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center in the development and evaluation of enhanced and emerging technologies under robotics and automation. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2020. The 325th Contracting Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, is the contracting activity.

Week in review (4/26 to 5/2)

Furloughs at a Cantonment aerospace company; a contract approval by members of a union; changes in F-35 flights over town near Eglin; a report critical of the F-35 engine; and two F-35 contracts totaling some $300 million were among the stories of interest to the Gulf Coast aerospace region during the week.

Here's the week in review:


Workers
Marianna Airmotive has furloughed part of its workforce because of a slowdown in work for the government. The company, which overhauls and fabricates parts for Air Force C-5 aircraft, has not closed and expects to bring workers back when some expected contracts come through. In the most recent figures available, the company had 125 workers. (Post)

Meanwhile, union members of local 2777 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ratified a three-year agreement with L-3 Vertex Aerospace at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The agreement includes a three percent general wage increase for each year of the contract, among other things. (Post)


F-35
Work on a runway will cause the temporary shift of F-35 operations to another runway, which may lead to a slight increase in noise over Valparaiso for a few months. Most F-35 flight operations at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., use Runway 12/30, but that runway was closed for upgrades Friday. The F-35 traffic will shift to Runway 01/19, the base’s main north/south runway.

The Air Force also said that Eglin will become a temporary host to 15 F-35Cs that are part of the Navy’s backup aircraft inventory. The 15 planes will relocate to Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., when construction there is completed in three years. (Post)


-- A Government Accountability Office report slammed the reliability of Pratt and Whitney's F-35 engine. Federal auditors warned lawmakers that the engine "has a long way to go to meet program goals." Company executives said they were surprised by the strong language, and that the report, while accurate, fails to tell the rest of the story. The company says it’s updated its latest production engines to fix prior reliability issues, and those engines are meeting current government reliability marks. (Post)

Even with the criticism, Pratt and Whitney Military Engines of East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a $157 million advance acquisition contract during the week to procure long lead-time components, parts, materials and effort in support of 90 low-rate initial production Lot X F-135 propulsions systems for the F-35.

It includes 44 F-135-PW-100 for the Air Force; 9 F-135-PW-600 for the Marine Corps; and 2 F-135-PW-100 for the Navy. In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of 30 F-135-PW-100 and 5 F135-PW-600 systems for international partners and Foreign Military Sales customers. (Post)


-- In addition to the F135 engine contract, the Defense Department during the week awarded another contract related to the F-35, this one to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Ft. Worth, Texas. It was awarded a $142.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract to continue development of the Joint Strike Fighter Autonomics Logistics Information System Standard Operating Unit Version 2 capability development effort.

ALIS monitors every component of the aircraft and alerts operators of any breakdowns. At least that's what it's supposed to do. But complaints heard by members of Congress range from the user-unfriendliness and slow response to queries to the high frequency of false alarms.

This modification includes the incorporation of sub-squadron reporting, dynamic routing, and decentralized maintenance capabilities. Work will be done in Orlando, Fla., and Fort Worth, Texas (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2017. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Post)


Airbus
Airbus awarded Turkish Aerospace Industries a new contract to supply its A320 aircraft with fuselage panels. Turkish Aerospace Industries has been the sole supplier for the Section 18 fuselage panels for the A320 since 2014. The new contract gives the Turkish company responsibility to manufacture another section of the Airbus A320 aircraft called Section 19. An A320 final assembly line will open in Mobile, Ala., this year. (Post)


Bases
Army Aviation's 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment at Fort Rucker, Ala., has a new commanding officer. Lt. Col. James Ashburn assumed command last month during a change of command ceremony. Ashburn returns to Fort Rucker from an assignment with the joint plans office, and executive officer, for the U.S. Central Command headquarters in south Florida. He attended the Officer Basic Course and Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training at Fort Rucker after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy. (Post)


Contracts
Systima Technologies Inc., Kirkland, Wash., was awarded a $12.5 million contract for stand-off precision guided munitions (SOPGM) precision strike capability. Contractor will provide support of the munition system carriage and release with products for employing SOPGMs and precision strike packages; installation, test, and operation of SOPGMs and precision strike capability on government specified platforms, assets (including aircraft) to support test of and training with SOPGMs and precision strike capability. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $14.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract for F-22 Sustainment contract for Reliability and Maintainability Maturation Program (RAMMP) annual support. F-22 pilots are trained at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. … Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems, Annapolis, Md., was awarded a $31.7 million contract for depot level repair, maintenance, and modifications of the AN/AQS-24 Mine Detecting System to support the Navy for the currently deployed Airborne Mine Countermeasures legacy systems. Naval Surface Warfare Center - Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity.